The Merchant of Venice

Synopsis

Written around 1596 and the first Shakespeare to be preformed professionally in America (New York, 1752). A man needs money to pursue a rich heiress (Portia) and approaches his friend Antonio - but unable to lend it Antonio approaches the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Shylock hates Antonio because of his Christian contempt for usury so offers a contract wherebty if the money is not repaid he may take a pound of flesh instead. The quality of mercy is not strained as Shylock is foiled out of his pound of flesh by Portia dressed as a man. A dark comedy exploring greed and racism.

Our Review:

29 June 2007

It’s Macbeth that’s supposed to be the unlucky play, but this production of The Merchant of Venice seems to be turning received wisdom on its head. First of all, the part of Portia was recast following the withdrawal of Michelle Duncan and, midway through the press performance, the actor playing Gratiano had to retire owing to gastric illness. It says much for the professionalism of Marc Rice-Oxley that he hadn’t allowed his illness to affect his performance unduly.

If this is a production wilting under an array of unforeseen circumstances, perhaps directors should go around administering salmonella cocktails to their casts because all the problems haven’t affected the quality at all - this is a production that buzzes from start to finish. Memories of the Globe’s rather unhappy 1998 production of the play have been well and truly banished.

Rebecca Gatward has brought out every scrap of comedy of the play, something that many modern product...

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Latest User Review

David baxter - 15 July 2007:

There is always a risk at the Globe of playing too much to the audience, particularly the groundlings who are grateful for any opportunity to forget the discomfort of standing on concrete for three hours. Rebecca Gatward's production falls into that trap too often and much of the laughter seems inappropriate given the frequent anti-semitism of the play. This production also suffers from too many over-the-top performances, particularly a quite appalling Gratiano. In complete contrast John McEnery is nondescript as Shylock with absolutely no sense of the true awfulness of his forced conversion at the end of the trial. As a result the focus of this version falls on Portia and fortunately we are rewarded with a superb performance from Kirsty Besterman, originally cast as the maid Nerissa. She brilliantly conveys Portia's response to her various suitors and it is her performance during the trial scene that lifts this production above he mediocre....

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